Conveying and elevating mechanism for roughage mills



March 29; 1932. J. HOLLAND-LETZ CONVEYING AND ELEVATING MECHANISM FOR ROUGHAGE MILLS Filed March 14, 1929 Patented Mar. 29, 1932.

tram earn-ares; PA OFFICE] JOHN HOLLAND-LETZ, F CROWN POINT, INDIANIL; ASSIGNOR' TO- THEZ LETZ FAG'IUBING -COMPANIY, A OORPQRATION OF INDIANA. a

CONVEYING Annnnnverrne-nncnsnrsnron noncimen MILLS Application filed March 14, 1929. Serial No. 347,048;

I One of'the. objects of the present invention is to provide an improved and simplified constructionof a conveying and elevatingmech anisnrfor roughage mill which will prevent the possibility of the conveying and elevating' mechanism of the mill from choking;

A. still further objectof theinvention is to provide a novel-and improved construction of M a screw conveyor and easing therefor by means ofwhichthe materialpassing'or being 7 conveyed by the screvv'through the casing will either be effectively elevated in-the roughagemill or" discharged from the casing of thescrew at one end thereof'd'ownwardly Without any possibility of 'it choking when the mill is in operation.

These and other objects are accomplished by providing a construction anda-rrangement' of. the various parts in the manner herein afterdescribed, andparticula'rly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings,c,F ig. 1 is: an:

, end elevational view-of aroughage mill' yvith parts thereof'shown incross-section, which shows my nnprovedconveying and elevatingmechanism embodied therein.

2' is a top planview of the construction of the conveyorscrevv, and

Fig 3 is a fragmentary end elevation-a1 view taken on the lines 3-3 of Fig. 1, slioW- ing the removable plate and the inner bearingsupport for the conveyor screvv shaft;

The presentinvention; is directedto ime proving the operation and increasing the ca; pacity of a roughage mill which is primarily used forthe purpose of making or preparing dlfferent types offoragepand has particular reference to the improved means for convey- 7 ing or elevating the material from ioneppor- "tion of the mill to anotherportion of the mill, and to eliminate any possibility of choking of. the mill.'

The present invention is directed :to an improvement over the form of roughage mill described andclaimed in my co-pending .ap-,

plication, Serial No. 180 085, filed April 1st, 1927 on a cutting and grinding vapparatus.

For the purposeof illustration I have shown my invention embodied ina roughage mill of'the'type illustrated and-described in and comprises a suitable frame structure generally indicated by the reference charac-- ter 10: a cutter head 11 mounted in. acasingi 12. The cutter head 11 is securedtoa main shaft 13. Secured toand operatively connected to the other end of the shaft 13' is a grinding mechanism generally indicated by" the reference character 14. Mounted be v tween the grinding mechanism 14: and the cutter head 11 and" secured to-the shaft 13 is a: conveying-and crushing screwlfi; Positioned over" the conveying and crushing screw 15.- secured' to the frame structure in: any Well known-manner is a hopper 16 in which material may be inserted tobe ground by the grinding mechanism 14.!

Positioned-between the inner wallaof the cutter head casing 12]and the conveying and crushing screw: 15 and secured to the shaft '13 is an elevatingscrew l7; Positionedfaround the cutter'headi lIin the manner described in the aforesaid co pending application isa-- comprises a revolving; fan. generally indi cated bythe reference character'19,'vvhich;is v mounted on ashaft'QO. in a fan casing or mixingreceptacle2l. The axial centerfofthe fancasingfilis connected by'a conduitr22to' the casing of the grinding 'mechanismlje for conveying: and drawing the material ?from the grinding mechanism to the fan casing or mixing" receptacle 21. Amore detailed idescriptionlof thermechanism thus far described is believedunnecessaryforcornplete underv standing of my present invention, because. further information concerning the detail of this construction maybe had by referring to my co-pending application hereinbefo're mention.

The primary feature of the present inven tion is directed to a novel constructionof'a conveyor screw and its (to-operating casing for conveying the material cut by thecutter head to the grinding mechanism for further reduc ing the material cut by the cutter head, by passing the same through the grinding mechanism, or for conveying the material cut by the cutter head directly to the mixing mechanism in which it may be directly mixed with separate material ground by the grinding mechanism for preparing different types. of forage.

This novel mechanism comprises a curved casing or trough 23 which in turn is mounted in a side plate or frame member 24 secured to the frame in any well known manner. The inner end of the casing or trough 23 has a downwardly extending chute 25 which extends substantially at an angle of 45 degrees to the normal horizontal bottom of the trough 23 at a point adjacent the inner end of the conveyor screw hereinafter described. The inner end of this chute 25 and trough 23 are connected by a suitable conduit 26 to an axial aperture indicated at 27 formed in the mixing'or fan casing 21. Mounted in suitable grooves or guides 28 and located on the opposite sides of the trough 23 is a removable plate 29, which may open or close communication between the trough 23 and the conduit 26 leading to the mixing or fan casing 21. Located between the housing embracing the elevating screw 17 and the inner end of the'screw casing 23 is a second removable plate 30 which may be inserted or removed, for controlling the communication therebetween. In the manner described in my above referred to co-pending application it will. of course, be

understood, that when the adjustable plate 30 is removed and the plate or valve 29 is inserted. the material cut from the cutter head will be elevated through this opening to the elevating screw 17 and will be conveved therefrom by means of the conveying and crushing screw to the grinding mech anism, for further reducing the material cut by the cutter head. and, in the manner described in the said co-pending application,

7 if the plate 30 is inserted for closing the opening between the elevating screw compartment and the conveying trough 23, and the plate 29 is removed, the material cut by the cutter head will then be conveyed through the conduit 26 into the mixing or fan casing 21 and there be mixed with other or separate material ground by the grinding mechanism.

Rotatably mounted in the conveying trough 23 on a shaft 31 is my improved form \.J'

of conveyor screw generally indicated by the reference character 32. The shaft 31 is mounted at its inner end by a suitable bearing 33 while the outer end thereof is joura naled in an aperture 34 formed in the outside plate 24 of the casing. The major portion of this conveyor screw is of the conventional spiral type but has its inner end as shown at 35 terminating in a flat radially and longitudinally extending blade as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The flat portion of this blade begins as shown at 36 at a point substantially in transverse alignment with the beginning of the inclined portion as shown at 37 and the inclined portion of the trough 23, and terminates at a point shortly inside the removable plate or valve 29. Located on the side opposite the flat radial portion of the conveyor screw 32 and in a plane therewith is an agitating tooth or plate 38. This plate extends longitudinally of the conveyor shaft- 31. This tooth or plate 38 together with the flat radial portion 35 of the conveyor screw 32 assists the screw in elevating and agitating the material in the conveying trough 23 so that the same may eificiently elevate the material to the elevating screw 17 when the plate is removed and the sec ond plate 29 inserted so that the possibility of clogging the trough at this end of the conveyor trough is entirely eliminated and provides an efficient means for elevating the the material from a position below the cutter head upwardly, so that it may be ground by the grinding mechanism. On the other hand when it is desired to adjust the machine so that the material cut by the cutter head is to be mixed directly with separate material ground by the grinding mechanism, the plate 30 is inserted and the plate 29 removed. The radial fiat portions and 38 of the conveyor screw will effectively force the material down the inclined portion 25 of the trough 23 and prevent any possibility of clogging of the material in this end of the trough when the roughage mill is operated in this manner.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a novel and improved construction of a conveyor screw in combination with a novel and co-operating trough, so that the material conveyed thereby may be efiiciently elevated for further reduction through the grinding mechanism, or may be eflioiently discharged therefrom into the mixing mechanism directly, without the possibility of the materials clogging, as is occasioned in some instances withthe conventional form of spiral blade, where it extends throughout the entire length of the trough. This arrangement not only eliminates the possibility of clogging at this end of the conveying mechanism, but increases the efiiciency and capacity of the entire mill.

lVhile in the above specification I have described one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will of course, be understood that the same is capable of modification, and that modification may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine of the class described commechanism and said cutting mechanism, a conveying mechanism for conveying material prising a frame, acutter head mounted on said frame, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a mixing mechanism associated with said frame, a conveying mechanism for conveying the material cut by said cutter headto said mixing mechanism including a conveyor trough, a screw mounted in said conveyor trough, an inclined portion located at one endof said trough, and a radially projecting longitudinally extending blade formed on said screw at a point adjacent to and above the inclined portion of said trough for forcing and conveying the material to said mixing mechanism.

2. A machine of the class described com prising a frame, a cutter head mounted on saidframe, a-grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a common shaft for said cutting mechanism and said grinding mecha nism, an elevating screw mounted on said shaft, a mixing mechanism associated with said frame, a conveying mechanism including a conveyor screw and a trough located below said cutting mechanismfor conveying the material from said cutting mechanism to said grinding mechanism, an inclined portion formed integrally with and on the delivery end of said trough and a radially disposed longitudinally extendingvportion formed on said screw and coextensive with'the inclined portion of said trough for conveying the material from said cutting mechanism to said mixing mechanism,

3. A machine of the class described comprising a frame, a cutter head mounted on said'frame, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a mixing mechanism associated with said frame, communication between said mixing mechanism and said grinding mechanism, communication between said mixing in one of two directions comprising a conveyor screw and atrough, valves for controllingthe direction in which said material is conveyed, means formed on said screw including a longitudinally and radially extending portion thereof for forcing the material in the direction of the open valve, and an inclined portion formed at the delivery end of said trough underlying the longitudinally and radially extending portionrof said conveyor screw.

4. A machine of the class described comprising a frame, a cutter head mounted on said frame, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a mixing mechanism associated with said frame, communication between said mixing mechanism and said grin ding mechanism, communication between said mixing mechanism and said cutting mechanism, a conveying mechanism for conveying material inoneof two directions comprising a conveyor screw and a trough, valves for controlling the direction in which said material is conveyed, means formed on said screw I of March, A. D. 1929.

J OHN; HOLLAND-LETZ.

name to this specification, on this 5th day Iii-i) 

